Words Can't Bring Us Down
by lovelyja
Summary: Emma had always wondered what Regina had done to pass the time in Storybrooke before she had arrived. When Regina shows her to her music room in the attic, the blonde is more than surprised... and impressed. Pre-SwanQueen


**This story includes pre-SwanQueen/ SwanQueen friendship.**

**I do not own any of the songs mentioned or used in this story. Full rights go to the owners.**

**I've had this idea in my head for a while, I hope you enjoy:)**

* * *

Emma and Regina were residing comfortably on the loveseat in the study of the mayoral mansion. The brunette had invited her for dinner whilst Henry spent the day with his grandparents, and it was no secret that the pair had begun to get closer, forming a great friendship.

The Sheriff was reclined against the cushions, whilst Regina was seated regally, sipping some cider.

"So…" Emma said after a pause in the conversation, "What did you do around here for twenty eight years? It's not like Storybrooke is party central or anything." Regina rolled her eyes, but chose to ignore the blonde's remark.

"I mostly taught myself a few hobbies to pass the time." She responded, not giving anything away. Emma raised her eyes in question.

"Like what?" She asked.

"Some languages, painting, some instruments… That sort of thing." The blonde perked up, sitting fully upright and now facing Regina.

"What sort of instruments?" She questioned, not quite recalling seeing any musical instruments lying around the house.

"I'll show you." Regina replied, standing up and leading the way up the stairs, towards the attic, and Emma hadn't even realized that there were more rooms in the top of the house, "This is the music room." She waved Emma through the door, who rushed forward upon seeing something she was interested in.

"You have a grand piano?!" She exclaimed, making her way over to the instrument immediately.

"It's a Steinway," Regina told her, shrugging, "I'm told that it's a good one, though I should expect it from the price I paid." She chuckled.

"Are you kidding?! They're _amazing_!" Regina raised an eyebrow whilst placing her cider down on a side table.

"Do you play?" She gestured towards the piano.

"Yeah, but nothing as incredible as this in a long time!" Emma exclaimed, then continued when Regina gave her a questioning glance, "One of my foster parents had a Steinway and taught me on it. When I left that family I played wherever I could, sometimes at school in the music room… though mostly it was just on a kids' keyboard or something."

"I'm assuming you're quite good then, if you learned on one of these," Regina gestured towards the piano once again, "Why don't you play something." She smiled.

"Oh… I don't know about that…" Regina realized that the Emma was blushing, clearly shy.

"Go on, I won't judge." Regina reached out and nudged her forwards with a grin.

"Okay…" Emma relented, sitting down on the piano stool tentatively. She gently raised the keyboard cover, noting that the instrument was in pristine condition, and gently ran her fingers over the ivory keys.

She looked nervously up to Regina, who gave her an encouraging nod. Looking back down towards the keys, she ran through a scale and an arpeggio, noting that she remembered everything that she had learnt long ago. She swallowed nervously, deciding on her piece that she had once learned by heart.

"Have you heard of Beethoven?" Emma asks, smiling in relief when Regina nods, "And Fur Elise?" To which Regina nods once more.

"Yes, that I have heard of." She smiled, and Emma cleared her throat.

"Okay, here goes." When Emma's fingers began to flow seamlessly over the piano keys Regina's jaw dropped. She'd no doubt been expecting something rather good… But… Emma's playing was _beautiful_. There was no other way to describe it.

Emma's face had broken out into a huge smile, indicating how much of a poignant moment this was for her. Regina watched as the blonde's fingers danced from note to note, never fumbling. She watched as Emma's eyes filled with tears, and her own did the same, one hand on her chest at the moving moment. When Emma's fingers finally stilled, both of the women stilled, softly glancing at each other over the piano.

"That was…" Regina was lost for words.

"I know it wasn't perfect, but I haven't done it in a while."

"No, Emma," Regina rushed forwards and settled next to her on the piano stool, taking each of Emma's hands in her own, "That was… _incredible_… I don't think you realize how talented and awe-inspiring you really are." The blonde looked up from her lap, and a tear from her eye dripped down her cheek, but gone unnoticed in the moment.

"You really think so?" Emma's eyes shone with a newfound youthfulness, and her smile wide. Regina nodded.

"Of course I do." She confirmed with a grin of her own. Emma leaned into her for a second, feeling comforted by the woman's support.

"Thank you," She whispered, and Regina rested her head on the blonde's shoulder for a second, letting her know that it was no trouble, "Care to show me your skills?" Emma asked, smiling and gesturing towards the piano.

"I don't know…" Regina stalled, feeling that she could not compare in any way to the blonde, "Why don't we do one together?" She asked, not wanting to be in the limelight all by herself.

"Sure, we can do that." Emma smiled tentatively, which Regina returned as she stood and made her way over to a cabinet on the far side of the room. The brunette slid open a drawer and pulled out a large binder, filled with papers and marked '**Piano**'.

"Ah here it is," Regina pulled out a few pieces of sheet music after rifling through the binder, and set it on the music stand on the piano, "I'm assuming you've heard of this song?" She asked gesturing towards the music, as Emma quickly scanned her eyes over it, smiling.

"Yes, this one I know." After a few minutes of discussion over who would do what, they both settled.

"Ready?" Emma asked, and Regina nodded in response, "Okay, here goes." Emma nodded the beat, and her fingers began moving across the piano, Regina joining in once the verse started, and Emma began to sing,

"_Every day is so wonderful_

_Then suddenly it's hard to breathe._

_Now and then I get insecure_

_From all the pain, I'm so ashamed."_

Emma glanced up at Regina, and they shared a smile, their fingers never stopping, nor fumbling on the keys. Regina could not help but muse about how soft and note-perfect the blonde's singing voice was as said woman began the chorus.

"_I am beautiful no matter what they say._

_Words can't bring me down._

_I am beautiful in every single way._

_Yes, words can't bring me down... Oh no._

_So don't you bring me down today."_

Emma noticed how perfect the lyrics were, especially for Regina. The brunette certainly had nothing to be ashamed of with her piano playing; she hadn't yet missed a beat. With that, Regina began to sing the second verse.

"_To all your friends you're delirious,_

_So consumed in all your doom._

_Trying hard to fill the emptiness._

_The pieces gone, left the puzzle undone._

_is that the way it is?"_

Emma joined in for the second chorus, adding the harmony over Regina's soul-filled voice.

"_You are beautiful no matter what they say_

_Words can't bring you down...oh no_

_You are beautiful in every single way_

_Yes, words can't bring you down, oh, no_

_So don't you bring me down today..."_

Neither of the women heard the sound of the front door opening and closing, nor the sound of footsteps up the staircase; they were too immersed in their playing. They began to sing a line each.

"_No matter what we do_

_(no matter what we do)_

_No matter what we say_

_(no matter what we say)_

_We're the song inside the tune_

_Full of beautiful mistakes_

"_And everywhere we go_

_(and everywhere we go)_

_The sun will always shine_

_(the sun will always, always shine)_

_And tomorrow we might wake on the other side"_

Tears began to drip down each of their cheeks as they entered the final chorus, and sang to the other.

"_We are beautiful no matter what they say_

_Yes, words won't bring us down, no, no_

_We are beautiful in every single way_

_Yes, words can't bring us down, oh, no_

_So don't you bring me down today_

_Oh, yeah, don't you bring me down today, yeah, ooh_

_Don't you bring me down ooh... today." _

They both finished with a final chord, each of them grinning. Three slow rounds of applause had them spinning in their seats, to see Henry standing just inside the doorway, Snow and Charming behind him. Emma and Regina both shared a panicked glance, not realizing that they had been listening, and despite earlier encouragements, weren't sure how well their music would be received.

"Umm…" Emma stood awkwardly, "Hey." She didn't know what else to say. Both Regina and herself tried to inconspicuously wipe away their tears, although they knew that the others must have already seen them. Regina cleared her throat.

"Henry, I didn't know you were home." She said, offering him a small smile, feeling uncomfortable, as she could see him grinning up at her.

"Only since a few minutes ago, and we heard you both playing and I wanted to listen." Regina had long since moved past any ill-feelings she had for Snow and Charming, so she felt none of the anger that they were expecting of her, though she was thoroughly embarrassed to have been heard playing by anyone other than Emma. Emma seemed to _understand _her. _Really_ understand.

"We're sorry for intruding," Snow indicated to Charming and herself with her hand, "Though it was a beautiful song." She smiled.

"Don't be sorry dear, we just weren't aware we had an audience." She looked to the side at Emma and could see the blonde smiling shyly at her parents, and felt herself doing the same.

"It was… just amazing!" Snow gushed, "I had no idea either of you could play like that!"

"It just never came up in conversation, I guess." Emma shrugged, wringing her hands together, her shyness still there.

"That was so cool!" Henry exclaimed suddenly, causing everyone to chuckle, "Will one of you tech me something?" He asked, looking between his mothers. Regina looked towards Emma, knowing that she was the most schooled, and would no doubt be the best to tech Henry, since the brunette had never had an actual lesson of her own.

"Sure kid," Emma smiled when he dashed over to the piano, eagerly looking at the keys and wondering what to do, "We're gonna be careful though, I feel like we should guard this piano with my life." She joked, though Regina was the only one who really understood from their earlier conversation.

As Emma began explaining to Henry and guiding him through a scale, Regina leaned against the piano, looking upon them both.

"I had no idea you played any instruments, Regina." Snow said from besides her, looking around at the instruments that adorned the walls.

"Well, I had a lot of free time over the years," She joked, "I don't play many very well, I just liked to have go. The piano is my favorite… well, besides the guitar." Regina pointed at an acoustic guitar hanging on the wall. Emma interrupted her.

"Hey Regina, were the keys on this slightly yellowed when you bought it?" She tapped on of the piano keys a few times.

"I don't think so dear, why?"

"Well, since they're made from ivory they grow yellow when left in the dark, so if you leave the cover off for a little while the light should whiten them again." Emma smiled, slightly embarrassed that she was so versed in piano knowledge.

"Really? I never thought of that." She mused, filing the information away for future use, "Why don't you play us another piece?" Regina offered, really wanting to hear another herself.

"I don't know…" Emma was reluctant, but caved when her parents and Henry pleaded to hear a full one for themselves, "Fine, lemme see what music you've got." She stood and began flicking through Regina's binder of music.

"You've learnt all of these?" The blonde asked.

"Most of them," Regina replied, "Some of them were a bit too challenging for me, but I liked to try" She admitted, and leaned over to try and see which one the blonde had chosen.

"Perfect!" Emma enthused, "I love this one." She sat down at the Steinway once Henry had moved out of the way, settling her music down and familiarizing herself with the keys. Regina spied what she was about to play. _Pachelbel Canon in D major. _Of course Emma would have chosen Regina's all-time favorite.

The whole room was silent as Emma began to play, her fingers dancing gracefully over the piano keys, mesmerizing any who watched.

**I've always wondered what Regina did for those loooong 28 years;)**

**If you don't recognise Fur Elise, you most likely do know it, just not the name as it is VERY famous. It is also the piece that Hermione taught Ron in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1.**

**I also thought that Beautiful by Christina Aguilera is a perfect song for Emma and Regina, two very strong women.**

**I also adore Pachelbel Canon, you should listen to it if you don't know it. The beginning is kind of slow, but the middle and ending are amazing. **

**Also, if any of the piano information in this fic is wrong I apologise, though the Steinway part is true. Many of them sell for over thirty thousand pounds each, though I am unsure how much that is in dollars.**

**Please REVIEW, I'd love to know what you think, and feel free to leave a prompt for me :)**


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